 from Taiwanese President October 09, 2003
The change in the President's entourage--now to include business leaders--came about as a result of Governor Murkowski's discussions with the President during Murkowski's first trip to Asia as governor. "I asked the President to include business leaders in his visit to Alaska and he graciously accepted," said Murkowski. "There are many misconceptions about Alaska's coal, timber, fisheries, natural gas, and timber resources in Asia. "It is my belief that the best way to dispel misunderstandings and showcase Alaska's incredible wealth of natural resources is through direct personal contact and education." The natural resources seminars, timed to coincide with the president's visit in November, will bring together Alaska's prominent authorities on the state's resources and give them the opportunity to both establish one-on-one relationships with Taiwanese purchasers, and provide them with detailed information on Alaska's coal, fish, natural gas and timber. "Taiwan is a nation of 22 million people with a huge industrial infrastructure and no natural resources. Alaska is a state of six hundred thousand people with enormous natural resources," Murkowski observed. "Establishing a commodity-based relationship with one of Asia's most vigorous economies is good for Alaska and is good for the Taiwanese people." In addition to hosting Taiwanese business leaders during the Presidential visit, Murkowski will be issuing invitations to natural resource consumer companies at each of his stops in Taiwan, Japan, Hong Kong, and Korea. He is inviting them to attend detailed technical sessions on coal, natural gas, mining, timber, fisheries, and tourism. These sessions will be held in Alaska during March or April of next year and will bring together engineers and technical specialists from across Asia and Alaska. "As with business leader meetings," Murkowski stated, "these technical sessions will provide the consumers of Asia with accurate and detailed information on Alaska's natural resources." Asia and the Pacific Rim, with their robust emerging economies represent ideal trading partners with Alaska, he added. "What we have to do is prove to the Asian consumers that we have a superior product and can deliver it to them in a competitive manner. I am confident that through resource seminars such as I have proposed, Alaska can and will successfully market its resources to an ever-growing Asian market." Joining Murkowski in his numerous meetings with Asian business leaders include representatives from Alaska's private sector including Bob Thorstenson, President of the United Fishermen of Alaska, and Chris von Imhof, General Manager of Alyeska Resort; Alan Austerman, Fisheries Policy Advisor; Mike Menge, Special Assistant for Natural Resources; and Margy Johnson, Trade and Economic Development Division Director are also in attendance.
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